A 14-foot-wide section of penstock pipe arrived safely at Yuba Water Agency’s facilities in the Yuba County foothills. Photo courtesy of Yuba Water Agency

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - A 14-foot-wide section of penstock pipe arrived safely at Yuba Water Agency’s facilities in the Yuba County foothills on June 6, marking the successful completion of a complex, multi-day journey for the oversized pipe. The penstock section is a critical part of Yuba Water’s upcoming improvements to its Colgate Tunnel and penstock pipe system, which convey water from New Bullards Bar Reservoir to New Colgate Powerhouse for hydropower generation, flood risk reduction and water supply.

“This marks a major milestone as we prepare for one of the biggest infrastructure upgrades since we built the Yuba River Development Project in the 1960s,” said Aaron Esselman, a senior hydro engineer with Yuba Water and the lead on the penstock fabrication and transport.

The pipe was custom fabricated over several years at a specialized facility in Southern California. From there, it began a more than 600-mile journey to Yuba County, traveling through dozens of jurisdictions, including San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Ormsby, Washoe, Lassen, Shasta and Butte counties.

The final leg of the route departed from north of Chico after 10 a.m. on June 6 and passed through Oroville and Marysville before reaching Dobbins in the afternoon. The California Highway Patrol escorted the delivery, which avoided major highways and cities by traveling on smaller roads, including State Routes 99, 162, 70 and 20, as well as Marysville and Lake Francis roads.

Local utility crews supported the effort by adjusting overhead power lines along the route. While there were some minor traffic delays, the delivery was completed without incident.

To learn more about Yuba Water's Colgate Tunnel and Penstock Improvements Project, visit engage.yubawater.org/colgate-tunnel.